Hearts for sale
by Linneagb
Summary: Two people, two broken hearts, two heart diseases. Elliot Hope and Chelsea James could not have been two more different human beings. But it must have been fate that brought them together. And fate must have known they would be the ones to know how to mend each other


**So yeah, I've had this story in my head for a bit, but wanted to finish another story before I started this. I finished it earlier today YAY. So it's time for this…. I have started a holby- fic before, but that one's a poem, and is written in a whole other way then this story and everything… So I guess this is kind of the first holby- story I'm writing. But well… here we go **

**Oh, I doodled some ideas with some of my friends for the title and summary, so a bit of credit for the title, cover- picture and summary goes to LocalXmusicXjellybeanX, x snow- pony x, flutebandgeek and GleeJunkie007. Thanks to all of you guys and sorry if I forgot somebody. **

**Okay, here we go. It's told from Elliot's point of view. Oh and I don't know much about who is or is not in holby city right now. So I will just write with them characters to suit storylines. Okay? Okay! Let's get a move on! I hope you enjoy this story **

"Oh, hello!" I greeted walking up to my new- old colleague Dr. Henrik Hanssen. "So you're back here." I shook his hand. "How was Sweden?" Henrik let hear a short chuckle.

"Well, it was great- like it always was. Do you want to taste some surströmming?" He held up a metal can that smelled like rotten vomit. "I will be holding a kind of… dinner tonight with this Swedish delicacy. My son Fredrik and his son Lukas will be there and we will be eating this kind of fish. What do you say?" He lifted the can up to show me the name of whatever it was "Surströmming"

"Actually…" I hesitated. The smell only made my stomach churn. "…I've got things to do tonight you know… laundry, dishes. I've got to go now." I span around and more or less ran out the door. Realizing the smell had spread out in the hallway I held my breath until I was back on safe, smell- free zone again, and then pulled up my phone of my pocket when I felt it buzz with a message.

_Don't call me or anything for the next few weeks dad. Too much pressure, I'll call you when I can talk again –James _

I frowned and stopped, then continuing towards my office I got up James's number on my phone and put the phone to my ear, feeling my heart beat with nervousity while one signal after the other went by and hoped and hoped that he would pick up his phone. At last the phone clicked and I took a sharp breath in, meaning to start talking just as I realized I had reach his message box

"Hey, this is James Hope. I can't pick up the phone right now- You know what to do- leave a message after the tone." The phone beeped and I quickly brainstormed for what to say.

"Hello, this is dad. I got your text message. But if you could just pick up the phone and tell me what's going on yeah? I just need to know if you're okay son? You know you can talk to me about anything. I love you." The phone beeped again and I sighed and pushed the phone down into my pocket again while I slumped backwards down into my office chair and sighed.

Today had not been a good day!

I had over- slept, skipped breakfast and came to the hospital all nauseas with hunger. I had lost one patient, and realized that if we only had had the test results in time I could have easily given the right treatment and the man would have walked himself out of the hospital within the closest week. That terrible smell from whatever that fish- thing Hanssen had was and now James too!

I might have reunited with my children after Martha had gotten hurt and everything. And we had all said that we didn't blame anyone else but ourselves for what happened to their mother but… the thing was in times when I got something from this from James I… I was beating myself right back up again and couldn't understand why James and Martha wouldn't be blaming me after what I let Gina do.

I sighed and put my head in my hands, in days like these a part of me wanted to go straight home, lie down on my bed and pull my covers over my head. Then just lay there until I fell asleep- although if I did that today I'd probably have a nightmare. While another part of me didn't want to go home, just stay there where there wasn't painful memories in every corner- just memories otherwise but in this mood they went too painful.

"Elliot." Someone knocked on the door. One of my former students- Jaylie Cameron leaned in and I looked up. "Hey… oh! Are you alright?" She came into the office, sat down in the chair on the other side of my desk and threw me the key to my house. She was living at mine for the moment and since there was only one key yet we had to switch it between us two.

"I'm fine." I shot a glance to the clock- one hour left of this day! "Did James call anything to the house today?" Jaylie shook her head. "Oh…. Well, no it's fine, it's fine." I pulled my phone up and laid it on my desk so I was sure I would see it lit up with a call. "Well if he would, or you hear anything else from him can you tell him?" Jaylie nodded and before I knew it she had reached forward and laid her palm towards my forehead.

"Jay…" I pushed her hand away. "I'm fine. Just really, really tired… Wow! You're not even half my age and already twice as much mother hen as I am ever going to be- or well, papa bear is what they say about males who are like that right?" I fumbled with my phone and pressed in James's number again without actually listening to what Jaylie said next.

"Hey, this is James Hope…"I sighed and didn't mind actually listen until the phone beeped.

"James, this is dad. If you could just pick up the phone, please I just need to… I just need to know if you're alright. You know you can talk to me about anything- even if you've messed something up! I love you." The phone beeped again and I threw the phone back on my desk. "Gah! I wish he could just pick up the phone!"

"Do you know what Elliot?" Jaylie asked after a few seconds of silence. "Go home!" I tried to protest, but didn't have the time to say anything before she had continued. "I mean it! You look exhausted, the hospital will be standing without you. Go by your son's place and check if he's okay." At the last argument I couldn't say anything against it and I stood up and patted her shoulder slightly.

"Thank you Jay. I owe you one!"

"Oh puh- lease. You're letting me stay at yours- you don't owe me anything! Oh and… I made too much food for lunch so I've got for dinner and there are more leftovers in the fridge." I shook my head and chuckled slightly. Mama hen! "Say what would you do without me? Elliot? Are you alright?" I had stopped and with some cramping in my chest I had put my hand over my heart.

"Yeah, yeah…" I cleared my throat and let go of the door frame. "Angina's acting up again! I'll be fine, I'll be fine- I've got the damn medicines at home! I'll see you later." Before Jaylie had stopped me for wanting to check something up and quickly hurried down the stairs and out on the street towards the parking lot.

It was a month until Christmas, and even though snow wouldn't be falling yet the wet November day made it feel like it was at least a few degrees below freezing and my fingers shivered while I pulled up my phone without checking who it was that called and put the phone to my ear.

"James?"

"Hey dad, it's me." Martha! "I've got James here now, he doesn't want to talk but he's perfectly alright and I think it's just a bit much for the moment for him." I nodded even though she couldn't see it. "But he's okay, he just needs to catch a break. Is there something you need me to tell him?" I hesitated.

"Yes… tell him I love him, and that if he needs he can call at any time any day. I lo…" I stopped and interrupted myself when I saw a small figure laying in a corner. "I love you too." I swallowed and looked around for the little girl's parents- or anyone that she might belong too- but only me and her were there.

"Dad? Is everything alright?"

"I've got to go!" Without saying goodbye I hung up and hurried over to the little dark- haired girl in the corner. She might have been three- four years old, and looked even smaller than she probably was lying curled up on the ground, with a duffel bag as pillow and her legs pulled into her hooded shirt as if she was freezing.

"Hi sweetie." I kneeled by her and I could see she tried to lift her head, even though she didn't really make it and sunk back towards the bag pale and with blue lips. "What are you doing here?" I moved closer not to scare her away. "I'm a doctor sweetie. Were you going to the hospital?" She nodded and I reached out and stroke her cheek- god the girl was freezing cold. "Where are your parents? Or is there some other adult here with you?" She shrugged.

"Mummy drove me down to that road." She tried to point down to the main road. "And told me to go to the hospital and say there who I was and that she didn't want me anymore. But I couldn't walk anymore." She was shivering cold. "And mummy's not here! She just pushed me out of the car and I'm so cold sir… I'm really cold!" I quickly pulled my jacket off and wrapped it around her, it literally reached from her neck down to her feet. God she was so tiny!

"Okay…" I felt a weird lump in my throat and my heart was breaking for this little girl- what if? No that couldn't have been what happened. "Here sweetie. I'm going to lift you up okay. And I'll carry you into the hospital and then I'm going to make sure that you get warm again. I am not going to hurt you okay?" The girl sniveled and tried to lift her head again when I scooped her up. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Chelsea James." I hurried towards the entrance to the hospital and asked about her age. "I'm six." I had to force myself not to drop her with the chock- if she was six then she should have been twice as big and at least three times as heavy as I could feel she was as I hurried towards my office- I had a feeling in this moment the crowded ward would only scare her.

"Jaylie." Coming into the office I found Jaylie sitting by the desk and she span around and stood up seeing me with Chelsea. "Can you come with me?" She nodded and followed me hurriedly towards the ward and quickly into a room to the side where we would be closed off from the rest of the ward. "Can you get… get some humidified oxygen it'll help to warm her up." I laid Chelsea onto the bed in the room and got out a thermometer from a cupboard and put it into Chelsea's ear.

I was used to children pulling away when I grabbed their ear as hard as I usually did when I checked their temperature, but Chelsea didn't even flinch and drowsily pulled up my jacket to her chin. I hated doing it to her but her clothes under were soaking and would only slow the process with warming her up so with hooking her up on a monitor I pulled off my jacket of her along with her clothes except for T- shirt and underwear, then pulled my own button up (thank God I had for once in my life been wearing a T- shirt under today) and pulled it on her before I held her as tightly as I could for my body heat to warm her up.

"34, 2" I explained when Jaylie came back in and pulled a mask over Chelsea's mouth. "It's okay sweetie, it won't hurt. It'll help warm you up okay?" Jaylie came with a blanket that she pulled around the both of us. "Thanks Jay… God it's like holding a piece of ice." I cradled Chelsea in my arms. "Can you check her bag and see if you find anything that can tell us why she's here?" Jaylie nodded and opened the printed duffel bag.

"There is a plastic bag with several kinds of meds here." Jaylie stated almost right away as she had opened it and started rabbling the tags on the medicine cans, while I felt my heart drop more and more in my chest while I looked down on the blue skin tone of the little girl's lips and around her eyes- oh dear sweet lord!

"Elliot? Are you alright? What are all of these medicines for?"

"Chronical heart failure." I lifted Chelsea up as well as I could and felt her cheek with mine to feel if she was getting warmer. "Can you check her temperature again?" Jaylie nodded but I could see she was thinking hard about what those meds and what I said they were for would mean even when she did what I asked and then showed me the thermometer.

"It's good, she's at least getting warmer." I cradled her carefully, only to realize Chelsea had almost fallen asleep in my lap. "Hey, Chelsea sweetie." She opened one eye and tiredly looked at me. "I need you to stay awake for me okay? Only until you're warm again." Chelsea shook her head weakly. "I'm sorry but you need to stay awake, only for a little while longer." She mumbled something and I carefully pulled away the mask. "Can you say it again sweetie?"

"But I'm so tired. And I'm so cold." I had to ignore what felt like her weak voice squeezing my heart telling me to just let her do what she wanted, placed the oxygen mask over her mouth and nose again while trying to come up with something that would help me keep her awake.

"Don't you think that is kind of scary for her?" Jaylie came into the room again and checked Chelsea's temperature again. "I mean that a man she doesn't know comes and picks her up and then brings her in here? Did you tell her you're a doctor?" I nodded, I hadn't really thought about it after I had picked her up.

"I think she's just too tired and cold to react onto what is going on." I stroke Chelsea's hair and shook her gently to have her stay awake. "Here." I started to carefully pick Chelsea up from my lap and unwrap myself from the chords and hoses. "I'm going to go on the computer and see if she's in our system. Here sweetie, I'll lift you over into that lady's lap and go outside for just a minute. But she is very nice, and I will be back very soon." Chelsea nodded weakly and let herself be lift over- still wrapped in both my button up and a blanket into Jaylie's lap. "Jay, just try and make sure she doesn't fall asleep yet until she's… whoa."

Chelsea's duffel bag laid open on a table and I had walked just a little bit too close and accidentally pushed it down and it landed upside down. "Okay." I kneeled down and picked up the things that had fallen out. "Oh wait, here is something!" I picked up a dosage pill box and a paper that I unfolded- to find another folded paper that fell to the floor and I kneeled again to pick it up and read on the outside of it.

_To whoever finds my daughter _

"I think this might tell us why Chelsea is here." I tried to shake off the weird feeling I had. "I don't want to read it here, I think it's better if I read it somewhere else and then tell her about what it says. See you soon." I picked up the last few things that had fallen onto the floor and- feeling like I had to be in private and do it as fast as possible I hurried towards my office where I sunk down behind my desk and unfolded the paper.

_Hello_

_If you're reading this it probably means that you've met my daughter Chelsea James. And if you have, and if you know anything then you probably wouldn't be able to hate me more- maybe especially if you do have children of your own sir, ma'am or miss that are reading this. And you're probably wondering what made me leave my own child._

_Well I guess that no excuse would be good enough or say half of what I wanted to say about it. But I am alone with Chelsea and her brother who is two year's old. And even though I could never choose whichever of Tyler or Chelsea I loved the most- I know that a big part of my financial problems comes from having to pay hospital bills that comes with Chelsea's heart. _

_Chelsea have got severe heart failure, just the other week we learned that she's going to need a transplant but I have no money left. And no energy left for taking care of two children- one of them fatally ill on my own. I know you think I'm selfish and a terrible person and I can't argue against that but I honestly think that Chelsea will be better off with someone else than me. _

_I don't know if Chelsea will end up with you, or someone completely different but wherever she goes can you just do one more thing for me? Make sure that Chelsea knows that I love her, now, before and for always- but that it wasn't just enough. Even though there was nothing she did wrong. _

_Goodbye _

I lowered my hand with the letter and felt once again as if a hand was squeezing my heart and lungs, I could feel blood streaming in my ears and I couldn't take a deep breath! But this time it was of anger. How could she… How dared she… How could anyone just leave their child into a very possible death like that?

Having to get out just a tiny little bit of aggression I grabbed the biggest and heaviest book I could find in my shelf and threw it into the wall with all that I was worth.

"You evil…" I started pulling out books from the shelf only to have something to do. "You rotten… You mean and dumb and evil MONSTER!" I grabbed another book and threw it into the wall- reacting like this might or might not be like me but if there was one thing I could not stand it was parents leaving their children- especially if it would be for their own well- being.

"What are you doing in there? Are you alright?" Someone knocked and shouted through the locked door and I had to force myself to calm down enough to take in what she had asked and shouting back that I was just fine, nothing to worry about I was just rearranging the room for a bit- well, if that meant throwing books over the whole floor it was certainly what I had done.

And still the biggest challenge of this was left.

How on earth was I going to explain to Chelsea why her mother didn't want her anymore?

**So…. Dun, dun, dun duuuuuunnnnnn… there's a first chapter for you all, I hope you liked it. **

**So if anyone wonders- surströmming is a real delicacy, and yep! It does smell like rotten vomit. And the smell gets everywhere but it actually doesn't taste too bad. **


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